The users of communication devices, such as the users of two-way radios, may work in remote regions, performing regular duties or responding to special events. Examples of such users can include forest service personnel, backcountry park rangers, forest firefighting crews, local law enforcement agency personnel, and other public safety users.
Such remote regions can completely lack a communication system infrastructure, or can lack complete coverage due to practical considerations such as rough terrain, a high mountain, a canyon or low population density. Additionally, the users who are covered by the communication system infrastructure can occasionally venture beyond the coverage area of the communication system infrastructure, and thus may not be able to communicate in the time of distress.
A known method of requesting help by a user requires the use of an emergency feature on a trunked or a conventional two-way radio to indicate a serious situation, requiring immediate response. Another known method requires the use of a satellite-based distress system on land, in the form of a personal locator beacon (PLB) integrated into a two-way radio. In yet another known method, a distress message is sent to a neighboring communication system using a guest-identification when the user is not in the coverage of a primary communication system. These known methods suffer from several different limitations and inconveniences including the inability to request help in an area lacking coverage and having to use additional devices for detecting the location of a user.
In light of the above discussion, there is a need for a method for requesting help when a user is in a remote region. Further, the method should eliminate the need of separate devices for location detection and communication. Further, the methods should ensure that the help is received in a least possible time. The method should also ensure that the help is received in a most cost-effective manner. Moreover, the implementation of the method should not require huge capital investment.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.